It’s been over a decade since Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods clashed at the 2013 PLAYERS Championship, but the tension between them still bubbles beneath the surface.
Garcia recently appeared on No Bad Lies with comedian Andrew Santino, where the Spaniard didn’t hold back when reflecting on his complicated history with Woods. “He’s not my favorite guy to play with,” Garcia said.“He’s not the nicest guy on tour.” The jab may have been casual in delivery, but it hit with the weight of old wounds.
The friction between the two took shape back in 2013, when a seemingly minor incident sparked a very public fallout. As Garcia lined up a shot on the 13th hole, a sudden stir from the gallery disrupted him. The noise? It came from fans reacting to Woods pulling a club. Garcia accused him of poor etiquette-of intentionally causing a distraction. Woods claimed he thought Garcia had already hit. The moment unraveled quickly, with headlines and press conferences stoking the fire.
Things got worse when Garcia made a controversial “fried chicken” comment in reference to how they’d settle the feud-a remark widely condemned across the golf world. Garcia later apologized, but the damage had already been done.
Old grudges and new confidence: Garcia isn’t letting the past go quietly
Fast-forward to 2025, and Garcia-now playing with LIV Golf-is preparing for the Open Championship. When asked whether he’d beat Tiger in a physical fight, Garcia didn’t hesitate. “Well, at the moment I think me,” he said, half-joking, half-dead serious. It was a glimpse of the fire that once made him Woods’ most outspoken rival.
Despite the tension, Garcia says things are better now. The two have crossed paths, exchanged pleasantries, and moved on-at least publicly. “We meet up and stuff, and it’s all good,” he insisted.
Still, it’s clear the respect is reluctant at best. Tiger Woods, known for his laser focus and often cold demeanor on the course, has a long list of skeptics. Brandel Chamblee, now a Golf Channel analyst, once gave Woods an “F” for his 2013 season-despite Woods winning PGA Tour Player of the Year-after a controversial drop at the Masters (Golf Channel, 2013). Woods was penalized two strokes, but the whispers of rule-bending lingered.
Golf may be a sport built on civility, but some rivalries refuse to fade quietly. Garcia vs. Woods is one of them.
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